Are we prepared to handle stage-III transmission?

STAGE-III IS THE
MOST TERRIFYING ONE WHEN THE SOURCE OF INFECTION IN A PATIENT CANNOT BE TRACED OR IDENTIFIED

The IEDCR has told us that in Bangladesh community transmission of novel corona virus has occurred only in a limited scale and the assessment seems to be logical considering the ground reality of the outbreak. At yesterday’s IEDCR press briefing, we were told that no new cases of COVID-19 patients were identified. Moreover, four more patients have recovered from the disease.

There are three stages of transmission for the places where the virus has been brought by the travellers such as countries like Bangladesh. The stage-I is when infection of the virus occurs only in the body of a traveller and at stage-II, only those people who come in contact with a traveller with COVID-19 develop symptoms and at this level contact tracing can be effectively done. At this level through identifying and isolating the COVID-19 patients, the chain of transmission can be practically broken.

But stage-III is the most terrifying one when the source of infection in a patient cannot be traced or identified and the measure of quarantine brings little result. At this level the virus enters the larger society which is popularly known as community transmission. In a country like Bangladesh, the densest place in the world with poor public health delivery system, the stage-III transmission can spell disaster. But have the authorities in Bangladesh prepared to handle such a situation?

Think of those countries like US, Italy, Iran, Spain, UK, France, etc. that have superior public health delivery system in all count compared to that of Bangladesh. These countries are now grappling to contain the virus outbreak. For countries like Italy and Spain, the outbreak is causing disaster of apocalyptic proportions.

So far as we know, barring four laboratories in the capital, there is only one in Chattogram with provision for testing coronavirus. The medical college hospitals all across the country as well as district health facilities still remain unprepared to test and treat COVID-19 positive patients. The country’s ability to handle spike in the number of patients must be increased immediately.

Considering the official low number of cases in Bangladesh, many may feel relieved that the virus is not going to wreak havoc here. Still, there might be people who can attribute the low number of cases to the prevailing high temperature here, compared to the heavily affected countries where the temperature is still lower. Since scientists are still in the unknown about the facts of this virus, such a temperature theory can be fatal. In Bangladesh, the near-lockdown situation must continue with all restrictions on incoming travellers. Moreover, physical distancing of people need to be enforced even more effectively.

Are we prepared to handle stage-III transmission?

STAGE-III IS THE
MOST TERRIFYING ONE WHEN THE SOURCE OF INFECTION IN A PATIENT CANNOT BE TRACED OR IDENTIFIED

The IEDCR has told us that in Bangladesh community transmission of novel corona virus has occurred only in a limited scale and the assessment seems to be logical considering the ground reality of the outbreak. At yesterdays IEDCR press briefing, we were told that no new cases of COVID-19 patients were identified. Moreover, four more patients have recovered from the disease.
There are three stages of transmission for the places where the virus has been brought by the travellers such as countries like Bangladesh. The stage-I is when infection of the virus occurs only in the body of a traveller and at stage-II, only those people who come in contact with a traveller with COVID-19 develop symptoms and at this level contact tracing can be effectively done. At this level through identifying and isolating the COVID-19 patients, the chain of transmission can be practically broken.
But stage-III is the most terrifying one when the source of infection in a patient cannot be traced or identified and the measure of quarantine brings little result. At this level the virus enters the larger society which is popularly known as community transmission. In a country like Bangladesh, the densest place in the world with poor public health delivery system, the stage-III transmission can spell disaster. But have the authorities in Bangladesh prepared to handle such a situation?
Think of those countries like US, Italy, Iran, Spain, UK, France, etc. that have superior public health delivery system in all count compared to that of Bangladesh. These countries are now grappling to contain the virus outbreak. For countries like Italy and Spain, the outbreak is causing disaster of apocalyptic proportions.
So far as we know, barring four laboratories in the capital, there is only one in Chattogram with provision for testing coronavirus. The medical college hospitals all across the country as well as district health facilities still remain unprepared to test and treat COVID-19 positive patients. The countrys ability to handle spike in the number of patients must be increased immediately.
Considering the official low number of cases in Bangladesh, many may feel relieved that the virus is not going to wreak havoc here. Still, there might be people who can attribute the low number of cases to the prevailing high temperature here, compared to the heavily affected countries where the temperature is still lower. Since scientists are still in the unknown about the facts of this virus, such a temperature theory can be fatal. In Bangladesh, the near-lockdown situation must continue with all restrictions on incoming travellers. Moreover, physical distancing of people need to be enforced even more effectively.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday said a handful of countries want to send undocumented Bangladeshis back home. According to a report of this newspaper yesterday, the minister issued the statement…